“Bright Lights Big Christmas is me, offering my readers a hot cocoa hug of a happy holiday story.” ~Mary Kay Andrews

This book was exactly that…”a hot cocoa hug”!

Andrews gave me two of my favorite things during the Holidays….North Carolina and New York City! There is just something so magical about New York City during the Holiday season and so enchanting about a family run Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Mary Kay Andrews was able to give us both of these in this beautiful Christmas story.

Spoiler-free synopsis…
Imagine growing up in North Carolina where your family owns a Christmas tree farm. In November, you take your trees up to New York City, where you will be able to sell your trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village, all while sharing a little vintage camper with your brother and his dog, Queenie! In the weeks leading into Christmas, you quickly become close with the charming neighbors who live near the stand.

This book was just sparkling with Christmas magic!

I fell in love with all of the characters, but I really enjoyed the brother-sister story line along with “Spammy”, the tiny vintage camper that they call home in the Greenwich Village while they sell Christmas trees!

This was a Christmas tale about family, fr-amily and second chances. It was a sweet and heartwarming story that will make you want to jump on a plane and head to NYC (or drive up in “Spammy”).

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review! I really enjoyed this one on audio! The narrator, Kathleen McInerney, was wonderful!

4/5 joyful stars🎄🎄🎄🎄 for me.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kate Andrews

#netgalley published 9/26/23
#stmartinspress
#romance #mystery

This is a light Christmas story with romance and a mysterious man. Kerry and brother Murphy head to NYC to sell their Christmas trees from their families farm. Murphy has done this for the last 20+ years. Kerry is only doing this for 2 reasons. 1) her dad had heart surgery. And 2) she is at a point in her life where she is trying to figure things out after having been laid off from her graphics design job.

There are a couple of possible romances going on. All of the neighbors are trying to cheer them all on. There is a little boy and a mysterious artist whom nobody knows exactly who he is.

I had lots of fun getting to know these characters. And I love when authors throw in the wild card of a child into the mix. It gives me the chance to see a second chance romance even if it's not for the MC. I think that I'm going to make MKA one of my auto buy authors.

#Womensfiction
#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #bookreview

If a book could be a blanket, this one would be a cozy, warm one! A wholesome, sweet, Hallmark movie in a book with likable characters. The story takes place in the West Village of New York City. Each year, the Tolliver family from North Carolina sells their Christmas trees on the same corner. Jock Tolliver, the family’s patriarch, is ill this year. His daughter, Kerry, is roped into helping her older brother, Murphy. Both are casualties of divorce, each raised by a different parent. Much of the story focuses on the pair discovering the talents of the other. This book introduces us to the characters of the neighborhood and explores the themes of friendship and love.

Charming Christmas tale ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cue the warm fuzzies! This somewhat cheesy tale of Christmas holiday magic comes at a time in my life when I need all the Hallmark holiday joy - so while this is my second Mary Kay Andrews story where I found the characters a little lackluster one-dimensional, the last half of the book my my heart swell with joy. Must be a Christmas miracle!

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read this novella. When I received it I decided to wait and read it closer to Christmas. Well, plans changed. My husband contracted COVID and was hospitalized for 17 days. I sadly did not read anything. He continues to struggle and now it's Christmas and I'm not in the spirit. I then remembered I needed to read Bright Lights, Big Christmas. Mary Kay Andrews has always been a favorite author of mine! To add to the story a dear friend met Mary Kay Andrews at the West Virginia Book Festival and bought me a copy and had her sign it for me.
This book made me feel like Christmas! I read it over 2 afternoons sitting by my trees. What a sweet story of a brother and sister from North Carolina who grow Christmas trees and go to New York City to sell them at their family Christmas Tree Stand. Of course, they meet wonderful characters, fall in love and show the true gift of Christmas -giving to others.
I need this book and am so glad I was able to read it. Mary Kay Andrews remains a favorite and I can't wait until I can read another book by her!!
Leslie Ponder

What an absolutely perfect, feel good book for the holiday. I loved the characters, so likeable. Was it a little corny? Sure. Did I love it? You betcha!

An enjoyable Christmas read! The characters were fun to get to know and I really enjoyed the storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy of this book!

Great Christmas read!! I loved the settings and all the characters here were likeable. I highly recommend reading it this season.


Loved it 😍
Thank you for the ARC!

This is a good book. The two main characters are Kerry and Murphy. They are brother and sister. When their parents divorced they were split up. Murphy stayed with his father on a tree farm. Kerry stayed with her mother in town. Kerry and Murphy’s has had heart problems and can not go with Murphy to New York City to sell trees. Kerry is between jobs so she goes with Murphy. They are meet with some really nice people that live on the block where Murphy sets up the trees. They find supporting friends, lovers, and great helpers. Also they find love.

Mary Kay Andrew’s Christmas books make me happy (I read them every year) and this one didn’t disappoint. Set in the West Village of NYC, this book has all of the charm and festive coziness you’re looking for in a Christmas book. The holidays can be hectic and this rom-com willl force you to slow down because you won’t want to stop reading. Go grab a copy, your favorite cozy blanket, and a hot cup of cocoa and start reading this one today! Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NeGalley for gifting me these great books!.

There’s just something so magical about a NYC setting during Christmas time ❄️ I wasn’t overly invested in the romance — the found family in this story was probably my favorite part. I loved Kerry’s relationships with Heinz and Patrick’s son, Austin. Spammy the camper also felt like a main character in the story 🚎

I’d recommend picking this one up if you’re looking for a quick, charming holiday romance with Hallmark vibes!

Thank you Mary Kay Andrews for the perfect Christmas story. This is the story of Kerry who joins her older brother, with whom she has not been close to for some time, to sell their family's Christmas trees in New York City. Murphy and his father, Jock, have been at the same spot selling trees for 30 years, but this time Kerry joins her brother since Jock is not well. The story centers around the tree lot and the many kind people who help Kerry and her brother and a few of those people who become very special to Kerry.
This book is a very quick read, and it is filled with atmosphere and dialogue that makes sense and isn't sappy at all. Still, there is love, found family, good food, and fun and quirky characters.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was a cute feel good Christmas romance. There wasn't much of a romance plot/obstacle outside of her needing to go back home. I wish there was a bit more of a challenge in their relationship. I really enjoyed the storyline of the old man and I think is something that many people see and experience with their grandparents. This book ties together love around the holidays despite hardships they may have experienced (divorced parents/non-accepting families/etc).

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. THIS is the type of book that makes me love Christmas time! Mary Kay Andrews, this one NEEDS to be made into a Hallmark movie! Where to start? I don’t even know…it was just the perfect amount of Christmas cheer. The characters…every single one of them…were very likable. Even Murphy, who was grumpy, bossy and slept a lot! 😂 The storyline was fun and I absolutely visualized this one in my head like a movie, from beginning to end! My favorite…SPAMMY! I’ve always been a fan of camping and have started out with tents, moved onto a small pop camper and then eventually had a couple trailers. I always loved going into the cozy camper after sitting outside on a cool Fall evening. I would love to have a cute little vintage camper with Christmas lights like Spammy someday!! There’s really not much more to say except this book showed how people come together and care for one another, especially around the holidays. May I make one suggestion Mrs. Andrews….a sequel for next Christmas when it’s time to go back and sell the famous Tolliver Christmas trees. I would love to read a continuation of each of these characters. 😊❤️🎄

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, please check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808
*Goodreads - Cherihy808

This was cute read to kick off my holiday reading. It felt a bit surface level but it also had me goofy smiling throughout. The combination of a charming Christmas Tree farm family and the holiday lure of New York City were the perfect combination for a sweet Christmas read. It’s one of those books that has a great cast of secondary characters that really pull you in. I love that Andrews’ books always have romance and a touch of mystery. This is a cute read for the holiday season.

Read if you like:
▫️found family
▫️wholesome romance
▫️New York at Christmas

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this advance copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas - this one is out in stores now and perfect for this holiday season.

3.5 stars rounded as we visit NYC and Tolliver’s Family Farm and a sibling duo selling Christmas trees. I read The Santa Suit by this author during a holiday season last year (or maybe the year before?) and I like the small town feel from this one, but there were a lot of characters that felt like they had super rushed plot lines…I almost wish we would’ve left the romance out of it, because you can’t convince me that Kerry falls head over heels in love and is ready to move locations for a man in 3 weeks, so the romance subplots felt a little lackluster for the length of the book. Overall, I’d recommend this for anyone who likes a holiday read and watching a lot of Christmas movies.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my review. This one is out today!

Christmas books are the best! Such a sweet read--love her other books as well! Definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Mary Kay Andrews!

💡 Bright Lights, Big Christmas - Mary Kay Andrews

3.5 ⭐️ - This is the perfect feel good, warm hug, lovable holiday book. I loved The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews last Christmas season so when I saw this one, I knew I needed to read it. It’s the perfect book about the holidays, family, friendship, and the true meaning of Christmas, with some especially fun characters.

It’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s christmas tree farm in the mountains of Caroline for the streets of NYC to help her older brother sell the trees at their stand in Greenwich Village. Kerry, at first reluctant to go, soon finds herself charmed with the neighbors and support surrounding her family’s NYC stand. Kerry gets close with the elderly man who helps her express her love for art, a fun loving kid who keeps her laughing, and that said kid’s father…

I really enjoy the way MKA writes. Her chapters are short, easy to follow, and her characters are quirky, fun, and lovable. This book was a lil too Hallmark-y for me but I still enjoyed it. It’s a cute story that combines the meaning and importance of family, love and navigating relationships, found family in friendship, and of course, snow and Christmas spirit. If you enjoy MKA and are looking for a sweet, easy holiday read, this one’s for you!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin Press for the early ARC copy! This one is out in stores so go check it out!

love Mary Kay Andrews. Her books are just delightful. Her characters are delightful. This story was delightful.

Kerry and Murphy are siblings from North Carolina who are taking Christmas trees from the farm to the big city to sell. Kerry and Murphy are practically strangers as their parents divorced when they were young, and Kerry went with Mom and Murphy stayed with Dad.

But this year, they are depending on each other to keep the family business afloat. They set up shop in a quaint neighborhood in New York where everyone seems to know Murphy.

As the story unfolds, Kerry and Murphy will forge a relationship, and they’ll both discover who they are and what’s important to them.

I picked this up for a few reasons: it takes place at Christmas, it takes place in New York (a city I’m visiting soon), and it’s Mary Kay Andrews. It had everything I was looking for in a Christmas book! I loved it!

If you are looking for a sweet book that satisfies, pick up #brightlightsbigchristmas .

Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the e-copy of Bright Lights, Big Christmas. This book was released on September 26, 2023 and is available wherever books are sold.

A Christmas tree farm, New York City during the holiday season, a dog, AND a single dad? This book will have you feeling cozy and smelling hot chocolate and peppermint in the air!

Mary Kay Andrews is the queen of quirky, lovely, engrossing fiction and this holiday novel does not disappoint! I curled up under a cozy blanket to fall into this story of wholesome (and colorful) characters, slow-burn romance, and small town community. It is truly the kind of heart warming story that I crave in December, one that makes me laugh and cry and feel better about the world and the people in it.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press, Mary Kay Andrews, and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this fabulous book. These opinions are my own, and I'm happy for the opportunity to share them like a big batch of Christmas cookies.